Mollie Pearce says disability has ‘not been a problem’ on Dancing On Ice
The reality star has limb difference was fitted with a stoma bag aged 18 following a diagnosis of ulcerative colitis.
The Traitors star Mollie Pearce has said she is “thriving” on Dancing On Ice, adding that her stoma bag and limb difference have “not been a problem” for her so far.
The 22-year-old secured an impressive score of 29.5 out of 40 at the weekend, despite missing four weeks of training after fracturing her left wrist in rehearsals.
Donning a burgundy dress, Pearce performed six lifts with her skating partner Colin Grafton, including a rotating double stag lift, in their first routine on the show to Vampire by Olivia Rodrigo.
Pearce told ITV’s Good Morning Britain (GMB) on Wednesday: “I felt amazing. I’ve never felt anything like it.
“I’m not a performer, so for me I was really, really nervous.
“I don’t do much in front of big crowds or anything like that and that was probably the main thing I was worried about.
“Afterwards it was just such a buzz. I’ve never, ever experienced anything like it. So I’m really excited to get back out there this week.”
Speaking about her condition, she added: “I was born with a limb difference and then when I was 11 I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, leading me to have a stoma bag when I was 18.
“We talk about this quite a lot because obviously when me and Colin met, he was like, ‘Is there anything I need to know about? Anything you’re worried about?’
“But we’ve not really faced any problems as of yet.
“Obviously, when we do bigger lifts and stuff like that, it might be something we need to overcome, but at the moment, we’re thriving, aren’t we?
“It’s not been a problem for us.
“I think we’ve got a good partnership so if anything does come up, we can communicate and kind of overcome that.”
Pearce, who finished as a runner-up on the BBC reality game show The Traitors, was born with no fingers on her right hand.
She was diagnosed as a child with a long-term condition where the colon and rectum become inflamed, meaning small ulcers can develop on the colon’s lining, according to the NHS website.
A stoma bag is a pouch that covers an opening in the abdomen to allow waste to be diverted.
Other competitors on the ITV1 show this year include retired Olympian Sir Steve Redgrave, EastEnders star Charlie Brooks, reality star Ferne McCann, Love Island’s Chris Taylor and soap actress Chelsee Healey, who was the first to leave the show.
Dancing On Ice continues at 6.25pm on ITV1, ITVX, STV and STV Player this Sunday.
